


what's needed most

by kasprina



Series: took a little time to make a little better [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alfred knows best as always, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Fluff, Gen, but he is not prepared to raise a baby acrobat, so much cute baby Dick fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 13:40:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29279331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kasprina/pseuds/kasprina
Summary: “You can take the acrobat out of the circus but you can’t take the circus out of the acrobat.”Bruce just blinked down at the eight-year-old, surprised Dick even knew the saying. Then again, he didn’t know much about kids. Parenting books didn’t have a chapter on quippy orphans who refused to stop climbing and leaping off of everything.---Dick wants to fly. Bruce would like that to not involve giving him a heart attack for once.This series has no specific reading order.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne
Series: took a little time to make a little better [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2150145
Comments: 17
Kudos: 190





	what's needed most

“You can take the acrobat out of the circus but you can’t take the circus out of the acrobat.”

Bruce just blinked down at the eight-year-old, surprised Dick even knew the saying. Then again, he didn’t know much about kids. Parenting books (at least the two he’d been reading in his minimal free time) didn’t have a chapter on quippy orphans who refused to stop climbing and leaping off of _everything_.

Today Dick decided that the handrail of the main landing was a good balance beam (and gave Bruce a heart attack when he saw him _walking on his hands_ ) so he wasn’t getting out of it this time with a pearly smile and cute phrase. 

‘ _Discipline is good_ ’ the books said. ‘ _Kids want boundaries_ ’ the books said. What they failed to mention was the crestfallen look on his ward’s face when he was sent to his room after being scolded. Bruce felt like _he_ was the one being punished as Dick slunk away.

“Young master Dick will be perfectly fine, I assure you.” Alfred said that evening. The kitchen was thick with the smell of pot roast. “You were scolded plenty too and turned out just fine. Do stop moping Master Bruce.”

“Aside from my nocturnal hobby.” Bruce added, quickly sitting up straight. He was _not_ moping. If anything he was brooding. Brooding over the possibility that he was failing at this whole ‘raising a child’ thing.

“Aside from that indeed.” Alfred said dryly. “Perhaps what Master Richard needs is–”

A loud crash had Bruce sprinting through the manor in the blink of an eye. Breaking glass but no alarms were going off. Not a window then. Louder than a vase. A mirror? Bruce burst through a door in the rarely used west wing to see–

A chandelier, or the remains of one, in the center of the room. His eyes flew to a long tear in the wallpaper that revealed dark wood beneath, the ripped strip of paper curling below it. And next to it, with wide sky-blue eyes, was Dick. 

“Oh good heavens.” said Alfred as Bruce darted to him.

“I’m sorry.” The boy whispered as Bruce crouched down.

“Are you hurt?” He asked, checking Dick over. 

“Nuh uh.” Dick shook his head even as Bruce discovered several nicks and a scuffed knee. “I’m sorry, Bruce.”

“Don’t worry.” Bruce carried Dick safely away from the shattered glass, sitting him in a chair. “I hated that wallpaper, anyway.”

“The chandelier–”

“Was out of style.” Bruce said as he wiped tears from Dick’s face. “What were you doing chum? I can understand the chandelier but the wallpaper?”

“I know you said to stay in my room but I–I…” Dick looked at his lap. “I wanted to fly. I miss flying. I jumped off when it broke and I didn’t have anything else to grab because I didn’t want to fall...”

And Bruce’s heart broke. Because parenting books talked about grief but nothing could ever prepare him for the strange ways it showed up. Even for himself after all these years.

He sighed and pulled the boy into a hug. “I want you to fly too Dick but I want you to do it safely. That’s why I stopped you. You could’ve gotten hurt today.”

“Are you mad?” Dick’s voice was muffled by his shoulder, small hands clutching at Bruce’s shirt as if to keep from falling again.

“No, not mad. Just worried." And relieved. So relieved that Dick was walking and talking and alright. "Things can be replaced but you can't." He gently flicked the boy's nose and Dick hid his face with a giggle. 

"Now,” Bruce stood up, taking Dick with him. “Let’s get you cleaned up and ready for dinner. Sounds good?”

Later that night, once Dick was safe in bed after three stories, Bruce stood looking at the torn wallpaper. Whoever thought paisley was better than solid oak was crazy. He couldn’t even remember the last time they’d opened this room. It was long, with high ceilings. Must’ve been a formal dining room of some sort back in the day. 

“Say, Alfred.” The butler paused in the hallway. “How high are the ceilings here?” Bruce said as he craned his head back.

“A good fifteen to twenty feet, sir. Though I’m sure you’ve got a gadget far more precise than my eyes, such as a ruler. Why do you ask?”

Bruce hummed thoughtfully. “I have an idea about what Dick needs.”

***

Keeping his plan a secret from Dick was harder than he ever thought it would be. The boy was persistent in his efforts to sus out the secret project. So it was a relief when it was finally complete and Bruce and Alfred didn’t need to scramble anytime Dick so much as glanced that way.

“Keep your eyes closed!”

“I am!” Dick whined as Bruce steered him down the hallway and through the door.

“Alright, you can look now.”

Dick dropped his hands and let out a gleeful noise. “Is this for me?” 

Bruce bit back a laugh because _of course_ it was for Dick. Who else would need a whole refurbished dining room filled with all the acrobatic and gymnastics equipment Bruce could safely fit?

“Yeah chum, it’s for you.”

“Can I use it now?” Dick asked with big, hopefully eyes. “Please? I promise I’ll stop for dinner and do my homework later.” Bruce nodded and Dick cheered. “Thank you dad!” He shouted, hugging Bruce for a split second before cartwheeling away.

And Bruce was left staring after Dick, feeling a bit shell shocked because when did he become dad? And when did he start thinking of the boy flipping through the air as his son?

“You were right.” Bruce said when Alfred joined his marveling. “This is what Dick needed.” Maybe one day he’d be able to put a full trapeze in the cave that Dick could use. Watch his son soar properly.

“Indeed.” Alfred said, watching Bruce as his mustache twitched. “This is what he needed.”

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by dialogue prompt: "Don’t worry. I hated that wallpaper, anyway."


End file.
